Near: The Emotionless Robot
by SilentKnightInDisguise11
Summary: One-shot! Near is called the emotionless robot by many in Whammy's Orphanage, but there is only one person who doesn't think so…a young girl named Dove. NearxOC


_Title: Near: The Emotionless Robot_

_Summary: One-shot! Near is called the emotionless robot by many in Whammy's Orphanage, but there is only one person who doesn't think so…a young girl named Dove. NearxOC_

_Genre: General, Romance_

_Rating: T, just in case_

**Silent Knight: Since this story went a bit along with "L: The Pervert Extroadinaire," I decided to try and make the titles a bit similiar. Hm...perhaps I'll do a Mello and/or Matt one in the future. Who knows?**

**Anywho, hope you enjoy. Here are the ages for all the characters talked about in here.**

**Near: nine; ****Dove: ten; ****Mello: eleven; Matt: ten.**

**Also, I only own this one-shot, the plot for this one-shot and Dove. Nothing else is mine, and never will be.**

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**Near: The Emotionless Robot**

**Oneshot**

Near was bent over his puzzle, feeling calm wash over him, listening to the puzzle pieces click-clacking as they fell smoothly into place. His long, nimble fingers easily picked up piece after piece, knowing exactly where to place it, having done the puzzle over and over many times before. Dove had previously voiced why he didn't play with other puzzles, or why he didn't throw it out or give it to someone else if he had finished it, but he didn't want to tell her the reason why he kept it. Though, he was sure she already knew why.

No – it wasn't because of the fact that it was blank, all expect for the black, gothic L in a corner of the completed puzzle. Near _did _look up to L, but this wasn't the case as to why he had it.

It was because Dove had gifted it to him a year after she had arrived to the orphanage. After a few months of sitting alone, she had shyly approached him, and softly began talking to him. Near never talked back, never even looked at her when she had done so – because of this she had walked awkwardly away a few minutes later, and didn't return for a few weeks. But because of that bold move, Near always tried to spot her in class or outside at recess, whenever he wasn't occupied by a thought or something else.

A few weeks later, after Mello had, like always, bullied him and punched him on his cheek when he didn't reply to his taunts, she had ran towards him with a First Aid kit she had put together – _"I want to be a nurse when I grow up, rather than the next L," Dove confessed to him as she dabbed at his tender cheek, "Yes, it's weird considering the fact that practically everyone wants to be L's successor in the future, but eh, whatever. I wanna be a nurse, and no one can stop me if I want to be one still when I grow up."_ – and treated him tenderly.

After that day, she almost always came up to him time to time, just to either inspect his bruise or to talk with him. He had seen many people make fun of her because of this, even try and get her to convince the fact that they were "lovers," but she never did, and only began insulting them back rather boldly, and at those moments Dove seemed so much more different than she was around him – all timid and shy.

When Mello, who seemed to always try and one-up Near and bully him, started bullying her, Near never said anything, only kept quiet and watched her get picked upon and teased. He knew that her resolve was shaking, and some part of him even panged as he watched her run away crying every time, Mello laughing loudly and jeering aloud after her, but he never did anything.

Truth was, Near didn't want to get attached to anyone. People with feelings did stupid things for people they began having any sort of feelings for, which was the initial reason why Near talked as little as possible. Dove had never heard Near's voice anyway, since she was always the one doing the talking, so it never hurt her feelings if he didn't say anything to her.

In time, Near began to like listening to Dove talk – mostly she made up random fantasy stories that were intriguing to listen to, and even tried and get him to talk by asking him riddles and puzzles and things, but Near never let his resolve break, only answered the questions in his mind, sure that his every answer was right – though the riddles and puzzles were always hard to crack. Dove sure was good at making those up, he realized over time, and began to like it when she would ask them to him.

He was glad to know that even though he never talked to her, Dove never stopped talking to him. Perhaps she knew that he was listening intently…? Near wasn't sure, but he hoped that was the case, for he didn't want her to stop talking to him, and he didn't want to stop listening to her.

Over time, though he had tried to avoid it, Near and Dove had built a solid friendship that had been made simply because of her talking and him listening.

No matter how much he would deny it to himself, the young boy knew the truth. He was growing rather attached to Dove – which wasn't a good thing, but that fact did not stop him from trying to ignore her or even avoid her. Dove was no longer avoidable or ignorable, Near realized that, whenever she opened her mouth to talk, it was like he _had_ to listen to her.

It was impossible to stop.

Dove was getting bullied by Mello again, but was trying not to tear up, and tried to stand her ground, though Near could clearly see her resolve weakening.

"Why do you stalk him anyway? Isn't it obvious that he doesn't like you? I mean – he never ever listens to you! Have you noticed that? Have you noticed that he doesn't even _look _at you when you talk?" Mello snorted in amusement, "Probably tunes you out!"

Dove shoved him, but he didn't stumble back. They were young yet Mello still towered over her – in fact, Dove was two years older than Near and he was also taller than her. "Shut up!" She shouted at him, "Of course Near listens to me! He might not indicate at the fact, but I know for sure he does!"

"Oh yeah? Then why don't you ask him?" Mello challenged. Dove looked away from him, crossing her arms across her chest.

"It's obvious that Near won't answer, Mello – you know this, I'm sure."

Mello laughed, and then took a bite of his chocolate bar. "Dove…you sure it's not because he doesn't like you around him? That he never says anything to you because he doesn't _like_ you? If you're in Wammy's Orphanage, it's obvious that you have to have an _ounce _of a brain, y'know." He taunted, placing an arm around her shoulders and leaning close to her face, smirking.

Truthfully, Near didn't like the fact that he was leaning so close, and so he was relieved when Dove pulled away from him, face scrunched up in disgust.

"Shut up, Mello – you don't know anything about Near, so don't act like you do, okay?" She screeched, hands clenching into fists. Mello shrugged lazily, biting into his chocolate bar once more.

"Whatever you say, _Dove_." He said, then walked out of the playroom with his one and only friend Matt, who was clicking away at the buttons of his video game, leaving the two occupants, Near and Dove alone. When the door closed behind Mello and Matt, Dove fell to her knees, then brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, still looking at the door, her back to Near.

Near still tried to act like he hadn't been peeking from time to time at Mello, Matt and Dove, and continued to stack dice as high as they could go before they fell. He got to fifteen before they began wobbling and fell. Placing them into a neat pile, he once more began piling them up. An uneasy silence hung in the air, and the white-haired genius wished that Dove would excitedly start talking again about one thing or another, but she kept scarily quiet.

Slowly she unwrapped a toffee, ones that she carried around in her pockets all the time, and popped in her mouth. "He's right, isn't he?" Dove suddenly asked around the sweet treat, voice sounding numb, almost as life-like as Near's when he would talk – and he hated that fact, and wished that she would sound as bright and as happy as she always did before, "You don't like me hanging around you, do you? And here I thought you did like me around you. Sure, you never spoke up and answered my riddles and puzzles, but at least you never asked me to leave, either. So I was such an idiot and actually thought you enjoyed my company, like I enjoyed yours.

"Mello was telling the truth all along – I was just too much of an idiot to actually consider the possibility that you don't like me around – actually, you don't like me. Period. But that's alright, Near. I totally understand, 'cause it's obvious that the rest of the kids here don't like me either. It'd be better if I just…I dunno, ran away in a few years' time or something. Actually, that's exactly what I should do. Then you'll finally be left alone like you want, and everyone won't have to put up with me any more, especially you and Roger. I mean – why am I even here? Because I'm smart? Yeah right – all I'm good at is treating wounds. I don't even _want _to be the next L; I want nothing to do with that…so I guess I'm just a waste of space then."

When she finished saying this, she unwrapped another toffee, popped it in her mouth and she got up and padded over the door when Near decided to speak up. "You're wrong." His soft, low monotone voice echoed in the large, empty room. Dove paused, her hand resting on the doorknob.

Noticing this, Near got up and began walking towards her. His shocks prevented any noise from escaping. "You and Mello are both wrong. I…enjoy your company, Dove. I also like listening to you. You already know I'm not much of a talker. And I think you deserve to be here…you are very intellectual, just...in your own way." Dove whirled around at this, back slamming against the door, eyes wide in shock and awe.

"You…you're talking." She whispered. Her voice was throaty and wobbly. Near looked at her with his cold eyes, but he knew that she didn't care about how emotionless he might've looked, because she now knew his true thoughts about her.

"Yes – I believe I am." He said to her. Suddenly, she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him, trapping his arms against his body. He simply awkwardly stood here, allowing her to hug him for as long as she wanted. For her body heat was rather…comforting – not that he would admit that aloud to anyone, especially not to Dove herself.

When she pulled away from him, smiling up at him, Near simply watched her. The ten-year-old in front of him, with her burgundy locks, hazel eyes and pale skin tone was a lanky girl, and her skin tone didn't match very well with her looks since she mostly stayed inside, with him, but Near liked her anyway. She liked him for the anti-social nine-year-old he was. And, no matter how weird he was – always solving puzzles, and never looking her in the eye, and never talking to her – she always stuck around.

And this reason, along with his _deeper, truer _feelings for her, was why he leaned down, and his lips pressed against her. Though it was an innocent kiss, he could practically taste the coffee in the sweet she had been sucking on currently, and this caused him to blush, but his lips remained softly over hers.

Dove just stood here, hands now limply around him, their lips connected, and widened her eyes at him when Near pulled away. He watched her warily, heart thudding. However, as she continued to stare, shocked, at him, his heart beat sluggishly slowed down. His eyes glanced away from her and towards his dice stack.

"I'm sorry for unexpectedly kissing you, Dove."

And then she was the one who pressed her lips against his. They were gentle against his, and after a few seconds she pulled away, blushing crazily. Near stared at her, eyes partially widened. That was the only feeling he allowed his face to show her.

He decided to keep his giddiness to himself.

"I…kinda like it when you call me Dove." She whispered softly, looking down shyly at his socks as his toes curled against the cold tiled floor.

And then she left him, standing there in the middle of the playroom like a complete moron, though he was anything but.

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**Silent Knight: Hope you liked it as much as you liked the L/Girl!Raito one! I'm thinking of making another Near/Dove, perhaps even another l/Girl! Raito one - your guys' thoughts on this and this one-shot? Let me know, folks! :D ****By the way - did you like Near's portrayal in this? Did he seem in character? How about Mello? Did you guys like Dove? Do tell - I'm curious.**

**Until next time.**

**Silent Knight over and out!**


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